Notebook systems making use of a stack of sheets is bound together using a plurality of disks are commercially available from various sources, including Continental Accessory, Corp., the assignee of the subject invention. Those notebook systems include a front cover, a rear cover, a plurality of disks and a stack of sheets, e.g., paper sheets. Each of the sheets and the covers include a plurality of mushroom-like shaped slots along one marginal edge thereof. Each of the slots is arranged to receive a respective disk to bind all of the sheets and covers together, so that the notebook serves as a binder with removable sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,959 (Feldman et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,667 (Feldman et al.) disclose notebook systems like the foregoing. In particular, the Feldman et al. systems make use of a stack of sheets is bound together between a front and rear cover using a plurality of disks that are inserted into mushroom shaped slots in the edge of each of the sheets of the stack and each of the covers. Each of the plural disks has a substantially flat disk-like central surface portion and an enlarged continuous rim portion which extends around the periphery of the central surface portion. The rim portion extends outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the flat central portions of the disks, and the central surface portion has a radius which is larger than the thickness of a stack of sheets to be bound thereby.
While such prior art notebook systems are generally suitable for their intended purposes, they leave much to be desired from the standpoint of each assembly of the notebook, each of use, and ability to be configured to accommodate more than a prescribed number of pages, due to the fixed size of the disks. Thus, a need exists for a notebook or scrapbook system or photo album system which overcomes those drawbacks. The subject invention addresses that need.
All references cited and/or identified herein are specifically incorporated by reference herein.